Indian Army begins cross-posting of officers to IAF, Indian Navy amid theaterisation

Amid the ongoing efforts to adopt a theaterised command structure in the Indian Armed Forces, the Indian Army will soon begin cross-posting of its officers to the Indian Air Force as well as the Indian Navy. According to an official from the Indian Army, the cross-postings are planned under the Indian Defence Ministry’s plans for integration and theaterisation of the Indian Tri-services. A batch of up to 40 officers from the Indian Army is scheduled to be posted to the IAF and the Indian Navy in executive roles, similar to the roles they perform in the army. Notably, officers in the ranks of Major and Lieutenant Colonel are under consideration for the cross-postings.

Officers from the Indian Army have received orders to be posted to BrahMos missile units of the Indian Navy and the IAF. Meanwhile, several officers from the Indian Air Force and the Navy will also be posted to various establishments of the Indian Army to execute similar duties. Amid the latest theaterisation and integration efforts, handling of UAVs, logistics, recovery and repair, and supplies management have been identified as roles suitable for cross-postings. Several UAVs, radars, vehicles, weapons systems and telecommunication equipment are common across the Indian Armed Forces, making the prospect of cross-postings possible.

Inter-service postings: Focus on integration of Ethos

Cross-postings have been sighted as a significant step in the creation of a pool of officers capable of functioning across the Indian Tri-services, Maj Gen (Retd) Sanjay Soi told Republic. This will cater to theaterisation, being its primary requirement. Officers selected to undergo cross-postings will focus on learning the ethos of each service and the nuances of the functioning of each service.

Notably, the Defence Cyber Agency and Defence Space Agency are two of the latest divisions of the Indian Armed Forces under the Integrated Defence Staff which have inter-service postings of officers from the tri-services. Moreover, the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) is another organisation under the Integrated Defence Staff which is actively drawing troops and officers from the tri-services and deploying them in operations in field areas. The Special Forces of the Indian Armed Forces- Indian Army’s Para SF, Indian Navy’s MARCOS and Indian Air Force’s Garuds are tasked with carrying out joint special operations under the AFSOD. Headquartered in Bengaluru, AFSOD has extensively deployed troops in the Union Territory of Kashmir in counter-terrorism operations. Notably, the security of the union territory was ensured by AFSOD during the recent G20 meet.